26 June 2023

The Jerusalem Post has reported that Mossad provided assistance to Cyprus in dismantling an Iranian terrorist cell which planned an attack against Jewish targets on the island.

Israel’s intelligence service collaborated with Cyprus to foil the plot, thereby uncovering the modus operandi and underlying crimes committed by the involved terrorist organisation, the Jerusalem Post noted.

In response to this development, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office stated, “Israel commends the prevention of an Iranian terrorist attack on Cypriot soil, targeting Israeli interests. Israel remains committed to safeguarding Jews and Israelis by employing various measures worldwide and will persist in countering Iranian terrorism, which poses a significant threat globally.”

Earlier on Sunday, Phileleftheros disclosed that Cyprus had successfully thwarted a planned terrorist attack orchestrated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which specifically targeted Jews within the island. The report highlighted the collaborative efforts between Cyprus and its Western allies, including the United States and Israel.

Israel and Nicosia have previously cooperated in foiling Iranian plots against Israelis, the Jerusalem Post writes. In 2021, they apprehended a Russian-Azerbaijani assassin reportedly hired by the IRGC to target Israeli businessmen in Cyprus. Notably, individuals like billionaire Teddy Sagi were promptly evacuated to Israel during that incident.

Channel 12 also revealed that the terrorist cell had set its sights on a Jewish real estate businessman, a Chabad site, and hotels commonly visited by Israelis.

Furthermore, in March, Greek authorities disrupted a foreign terrorist network operating within their country, resulting in the arrest of two foreign nationals, Jerusalem Post writes. Both Mossad and AFP confirmed that these individuals had been planning attacks against Israelis in Greece.

Mossad stressed the incident as another instance of Iran resorting to terrorism against Israeli and Jewish targets overseas.

According to Greek media, the terrorists aimed to strike a highly symbolic target—a Jewish synagogue that also functions as a restaurant situated in the centre of Athens.

Israel’s National Security Council has identified several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Bahrain, and Cyprus, as being at a heightened risk of potential Iranian attacks in recent months.